FOUR VEES NAMED TO TEAM CANADA WEST ROSTERPENTICTON, BC– The Penticton Vees Junior Hockey Club is pleased to announce Troy Stecher, James De Haas, Wade Murphy and Mike Rebry have been chosen to represent Team Canada West at the 2012 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge (WJAC). Chad Katunar and Dexter Dancs did not make the cut. They will be leading the Vees this Saturday against the Chilliwack Chiefs.

“It’s an honour to have four of our players play for Team Canada West. It’s a privilege to have four from our organization wear the maple leaf on their jersey, and I know they will do an upstanding job in representing the Vees on the International stage,” comments Vees Head Coach & GM Fred Harbinson.

Troy Stecher, 18, played on Canada West’s 2011 gold medal-winning team in Langley. To date, in 17 games, Stecher has two goals and 10.De Haas, 18, is enjoying his first season in the BCHL with the Vees, after coming over from the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots. De Haas, who is Stecher’s partner on the blue-line, has three goals and 10 points. De Haas was a sixth round selection of the Detroit Red Wings this past June. Heis set to attend Clarkson University next season.

Murphy, 19, is in his second season with the Vees. Murphy currently leads the BCHL in scoring with 26 points in 15 games; a league best 15 game point-streak too. The Victoria product is committed to the University of North Dakota for 2013. Rebry, 19, is off to an impressive start in his rookie season. The 19 year-old is the leading BCHL goal scorer with 13. Rebry sits tied for second in league scoring with 21 points. Rebry is also tied for the BCHL lead in short-handed goals with two. He is committed to Western Michigan University for the 2014 season.

With today’s announcement, 19 Vees will have played in the WJAC since its inception in 2006; 16 on Team Canada West. Troy Stecher joins Vees alumni Travis St. Denis and Joey Laleggia as the only Vees to have played twice in the tournament. Team Canada West opens the WJAC on November 6th versus the Czech Republic.